Memories in the Sand
by Anubis Monori
Summary: In between quests, the Courier takes some time to reflect on the past.


Author's Note: I wrote this a couple of years ago as a birthday gift for a friend I know in real life but never got around to posting it online until now. The game of Fallout: New Vegas is ambiguous. It's one of the things I like about it. This story is based on my experiences during my first time playing.

* * *

I looked up at the sky. The sun was blazing down over the desert. The few puffs of clouds in the sky seemed to be making fun of us. We'd traveled so far on our quest, but at least it was almost over.

I glanced at my companions as we were walking. We certainly made an unlikely trio. First there is me. Some say I'm important. I know I do have a special brain condition. It all started with… let's just say it was an accident and leave it at that. I've got a good job, though. A "courier," you could call me. It's really just a fancy word for a delivery boy. I can't complain. This job has taken me to some wild places, and I enjoy the adventure, even if we are traversing a dry, dusty desert.

Then there is the robot. I found it… well, him, soon after I woke up. Yes, many people see robots as cold, genderless machines, but from the moment I met this one he just displayed masculinity. Some consider him to be an outdated model, but he's never let me down. He's a loyal companion; always by my side. I've even met a clone of his, but I prefer working with my original buddy.

Finally, there is the female of our group. When I first met her, I had no idea that she was about to lose her job, much less because of me. What's worse, at that time she had no family and only a couple friends. I should feel bad, but now that we're together, I couldn't ask for a better partner. She has my back, and I have hers. I just wish she wouldn't get on me about doing the 'right' thing all the time.

Of course, I couldn't forget about our boss. If you could even call him that. He is a strange old man who has been kept alive far past normal human life expectancy thanks to medical science and machines. How he had managed it, I don't know… and I hope I never have to.

I pulled a soda from my pack and popped off the bottle cap. Ignoring my companion's disgust, I drank it down. I know why she was worried. Drink enough of this stuff, and you can become real irradiated. I've had so much at once I was practically glowing green! But the taste is addictive, and how am I supposed to function without caffeine?

I finished the soda and tossed the empty bottle aside. Not all of our deliveries have been as simple as this one. We've certainly had to fight plenty of enemies. I've dealt with aliens, but that's not as exciting as you would think. I suppose one of the more dangerous creatures we've faced was a legendary beast that's said to have mutated from a lizard. It was easily twice, maybe even three times the size of any of us, and its claws were as long as my forearm. I still can't figure out how we survived that one. I think I'm just lucky. I must be, to have survived my… 'accident' with little long-term effects. I still remember that day clearly. It felt like just a quick nap, but when the doctor told me what happened and how long I had really been asleep, I probably would have freaked out if not for the overwhelming sense of relief.

My mind continued to wander and I thought about our current quest. Our 'delivery'. I smiled. It's hard to believe this all started because of a simple delivery like this one, but look at where we are now... Well, maybe this delivery isn't as simple as I've suggested. I do feel a bit over-encumbered, but we'll get this –

"Fry! Quit daydreaming! We're here." As Leela pulled the ropes away from the sandstone block, Fry walked over to the Osirian and handed him a clipboard. "Hi. We have a giant stone to deliver. Sign here."

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Fallout: New Vegas or Futurama, but as I was playing I couldn't help but find a lot of similarities between the two (besides Seymour, which was obviously intentional). Too bad Slurm's special bottle caps were golden and not blue with stars…

Also, the episode of Futurama I reference is the forty-ninth episode, titled "A Pharaoh to Remember". The scene picks up as Fry is walking over, and it's not unlikely that he was daydreaming beforehand.


End file.
